December 18, 2024
The Honorable Chuck Schumer
The Honorable Mike Johnson
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries
Subject: Request to Congress to pass the funding bill today
Speaker Johnson, Leaders Schumer, Jeffries, and McConnell:
On behalf of the pediatric cancer community of families of children facing cancer, advocacy groups dedicated to supporting families and researcher, physicians and scientists, and companies developing drugs for seriously ill children, we urge you to pass the funding bill, the Further Continuing Appropriations and Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025.
A vote for the funding bill is a vote for children with cancer.
The Act provides funding for much needed basic research under the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research 2.0.
The Act reauthorizes the rare pediatric priority review voucher program that has brought more than 65 new drugs to market for children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses.
The Act includes the Give Kids a Chance Act to provide for pediatric studies of combinations of novel cancer drugs. To find new cures for children, scientists must be able to design protocols with combinations of cancer drugs.
The Act includes the Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act to facilitate out-of-state care for medically complex children on Medicaid or CHIP. How can it be that kids on Medicaid might not receive critical cell and gene therapies that are only provided in another state?
The Act provides for penalties when companies do not complete their required pediatric studies.
Thank you for your support of children with cancer. The community of families, friends, scientists and advocates stand ready to work with you to secure passage of the end-of-year funding package.
Sincerely,